


To Feel a Dragon’s Heart: A Pact of Life

by elavoria



Series: To Feel a Dragon's Heart [3]
Category: Shadowrun
Genre: Ally Spirit, Blood Magic, Collars, Dependency, Dominant/Submissive, Dragon & Human Interactions, Dragons, Elves, Empath, Empathic Bond, Established Relationship, F/M, Magic-Users, Master/Pet, Mature Love, Nonbinary Character, Other, Platonic Romance, Rituals, Romance, Romantic Soulmates, Shamanism, Spirits, Telepathic Bond, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:22:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22930132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elavoria/pseuds/elavoria
Summary: Lofwyr and his elven pet return for a very sweet third installment in which they make their soul-twining pact of immortality.While reading order in this series is not terribly important, for full effect, this piece should not be read first. It’s essentially a long eighth chapter of “A Collection of Firsts”, but I wanted to give such an important event its proper time and attention.
Relationships: Lofwyr (Shadowrun)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: To Feel a Dragon's Heart [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1534385
Comments: 4
Kudos: 2





	To Feel a Dragon’s Heart: A Pact of Life

April 2070. Saeder-Krupp Headquarters, Essen, Rhine-Ruhr Megaplex, German Alliance.

Ella heard and felt Lofwyr’s approach, but instead of turning to give her master her usual instinctive smile, she continued to stare out the window, watching as evening turned to night. The great dragon silently took his place at her side and joined her in looking down at the city lights far below, which had started to twinkle in the darkness. After a few moments he turned to face her; she didn’t acknowledge him.

“Ella,” he said softly.

Still she refused to meet his gaze, though she loosened her rein on her melancholy. He gently turned her face toward his, but she kept her eyes downcast.

“Look at me,” he said quietly, tenderly caressing her where his hand rested.

The sun shaman raised her grey-blue eyes at last and stared sorrowfully into his yellow-gold ones. She felt a wave of his love and concern wash over her, but it wasn’t enough to bolster her spirits.

 _“What is wrong?”_ he asked mentally, his thought-voice inexpressibly gentle.

Ella opened her mouth to speak, but finding herself incapable, closed her mouth again. Lofwyr’s brow furrowed slightly at this response. He placed his other hand on the other side of her face, then slowly ran his hands down her neck and over her collar to rest on her shoulders. She felt his presence in her mind more strongly than usual, but also more hesitantly, which meant only one thing: he wanted to find the answer for himself. When she put up no resistance, she felt him sift through her surface thoughts. Several moments passed in silence before she felt him withdraw.

“You are worried about your mortality,” he said slowly, melodiously, inquisitively. “You were so happy yesterday.”

The sun shaman nodded and gave him a small smile.

“Twenty-five years with you is reason for great happiness,” she said, raising a hand to run her fingers through his steel-grey hair. He shifted his hands to her waist, and she smiled again as she felt his pointed nails press against her sides. Seeing that some of her sadness had lifted, he returned her smile, and she added, “It’s also reason for reflection.”

“Hmm,” the great dragon mused, his brow furrowing slightly once again. “Come.” Keeping one arm around her waist, he led her to the couch, where he sat her down comfortably close to him. He took her hands in his and said, “Please, tell me.”

Although Ella had been expecting further inquiry, her eyes still widened at Lofwyr’s request, and her words refused to come out. She felt a pulse of his affection intended to soothe her and returned it with gratitude. She wasn’t afraid of her master, but it had been many years since she had expressed significant dissatisfaction, and she didn’t want to displease him. Even so, he had always been very gentle with her...

“Ella,” she heard his soft voice say.

Roused from her thoughts, the sun shaman blinked several times and realized she was still staring into the yellow-gold eyes she loved so well. He gave her hands a gentle squeeze; she returned the pressure with a little too much force. They held each other tightly as their love flowed freely between them, and she smiled despite herself.

“All right,” she said at length. “I’ll tell you.” The great dragon smiled at her in encouragement, and she felt his relief. She took a deep breath and began, “I love you—”

“Mein Schatz,” Lofwyr interrupted, impatient with concern and startling her into silence. He extracted one of his hands to stroke her face, gazed meaningfully into her eyes, and said solemnly with his most emphatic precision, “There is never any need to assure me of your love.”

Ella simply stared at him for a few moments, then a shy, pleased smile spread across her face. She inclined her head graciously.

“You honor me, mein Herr,” she said softly.

“I speak only the truth,” he returned. They shared a loving look, and he added, “Please, continue.”

The sun shaman was silent for another moment before beginning again, “I’ve had the privilege, and the pleasure, of serving you for twenty-five years.” She paused to caress her master’s beautiful, ageless face, smiling wistfully as she did so. He rested his hand atop hers, removed it from his face to kiss it lightly, then resumed holding it in his lap. Her smile turned to one of gratitude, and she continued, “When you first took me in, I was only twenty-seven. Twenty-five years later, I’m fifty-two. I know I’m still young for an elf, but... I won’t be young forever, and my lifespan is hardly a flash of existence compared to yours.” She extracted her hands from his to rest them on the sides of his face and stared deeply into his yellow-gold eyes with her now-tearful grey-blue ones. “Lofwyr,” she said, her voice shaking slightly from emotion despite her intensity, “I love you. I love you so much. One lifetime isn’t enough.”

The great dragon seemed unsure how to respond to such a pronouncement, but although he remained silent as he held her gaze, she could feel his overwhelming compassion. As if of one accord, she nestled against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight, protective embrace. Now that she had unburdened herself, she found herself shaking from her previously repressed emotions. Her tears fell freely, and she cried against him as she held him as close as she could.

Once Ella had become calm, Lofwyr loosened his hold on her and stroked her back soothingly. He still held his silence, but she was comforted by the fiercely burning love that radiated from him and filled her heart.

After several minutes had passed, they leaned back to look into each other’s eyes. Lofwyr spoke at last, but it was only to say, “Mein Schatz,” albeit very tenderly. He looked as though he wanted to say more, but she sensed his hesitance and realized that she would have to be content with the strength of his emotion.

“I’ll manage,” she said softly, attempting a reassuring smile.

The great dragon stared at her for a moment before nodding slightly and returning an even smaller smile. As there was nothing to be said, the sun shaman pressed closer to her master, and for a long time they simply held each other in their shared sorrow-tinged love.

*

Ella quietly hoped for a further response from Lofwyr the next day, but she hoped and waited in vain. She would have thought that he had completely moved on if not for the fact that she found him staring at her more often than usual. That in itself was not particularly unusual, but his staring was now accompanied by a sad, almost mournful expression and a feeling of tender sympathy—and when it wasn’t, it was more of a piercing appraisal than anything. While she appreciated his concern, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was expecting her to fall over dead at any moment; in any case, it did little to help the lingering anxiety she felt about her relatively short lifespan.

When she had a moment alone in the evening, she activated her telepathic link to her ally spirit and immediately felt Starheart’s soothing presence settle around her.

 _“Mein Herz,”_ she thought to them lovingly, smiling to herself, then softly asked aloud, “May I see you?”

A moment later, her spirit’s physical form shimmered into existence in front of her. She smiled instinctively at the sight of their beautiful elven features and scintillating gold eyes; they returned her smile and placed a delicate hand on the side of her face.

“Mein Liebling,” they said gently. “What do you need? Other than comfort, that is.”

Starheart spread out their arms, and Ella embraced them gladly, holding them close and running her fingers through their long white hair.

“I wish he’d talk to me,” she said, nestling a little closer to them, “instead of looking at me so strangely.”

Her spirit remained silent for a few moments, but they tightened their hold on her.

“He has been thinking long and hard about how to proceed,” they said softly. “Don’t be too hard on him.”

The sun shaman leaned back and looked searchingly into Starheart’s eyes.

“Do you know something I don’t?” she asked, a hint of indignance in her voice.

Starheart’s eyes widened, and they opened their mouth only to close it again and frown slightly.

“I shouldn’t say,” they said, smiling apologetically. They stroked her hair and added, “Be gentle with him, dear one. He will talk when he is ready.”

Ella sighed, then held her spirit close again, appreciating their touch.

“All right,” she conceded. “Thank you for telling me that much. You may go now, if you wish.”

They held each other tightly, but before they had satisfied themselves with the embrace, they heard Lofwyr’s footsteps approaching. Turning to face him, Ella smiled; Starheart bowed. The sun shaman gave her spirit’s hands a last squeeze, then walked to meet her master, who took her in his arms. She sensed Starheart take their leave of the physical plane behind her and pressed herself against the great dragon’s chest. He held her protectively close, and feeling once again his sorrowful sympathy, she focused her own feelings into a comforting love.

When his worry had melted into a reciprocatory affection, she took his face in her hands, smiled at him for a moment, and kissed him tenderly. He returned her kiss with surprising need but stopped after a few moments to whisper, “to the bedroom,” where they made their way with their arms wrapped around each other’s waists.

Without speaking, he laid them on top of the bed; they quickly fell to kissing, caressing, and otherwise showing their love for each other, not stopping until they had sated both their physical and emotional desires. The rest of the night passed with fewer mournful looks from Lofwyr, and between that and the promise of eventual explanation, Ella took heart and slept soundly in anticipation of a better day.

*

Ella woke the next morning to Lofwyr sitting beside the bed watching over her sleep. Fully dressed in one of his exquisite three-piece suits, he smiled down at her benevolently; surprised and a little confused, she blinked and smiled back.  
 _“Good morning, mein kleiner Schatz,”_ he thought to her tenderly.

“Good morning,” she responded softly aloud. She stretched, sat up, and looked curiously into her master’s yellow-gold eyes. “You don’t have somewhere you need to be?”

The great dragon held her gaze meaningfully, and with a small, knowing smile, he answered, “I am exactly where I wish to be.”

The sun shaman’s eyes widened slightly; pleased but embarrassed, she looked down at her lap for a moment. If he was foregoing his previous commitments, then perhaps to-day he would let her know what had so absorbed his thoughts.

“All right,” she said. She smiled at him as she stood up and added quietly, “Thank you.”

Lofwyr stood himself and took Ella in his arms. He slowly trailed his pointed nails down her spine, eliciting a shiver; nestling against the luxurious fabrics of his suit, she felt very underdressed in her short silk nightdress, but the warmth of his love spread throughout her and she returned it in kind as she held him close.

“Once you have dressed and had your coffee, we must talk,” he said softly.

She nodded against him and breathed in the subtle, intoxicating scent of his cologne before leaning back and looking at him in gratitude. Quickly overwhelmed by her emotions, she pulled him close and held him tightly, eliciting a pulse of surprised affection from him.  


_“Ich liebe dich,”_ she thought to him fervently.

The great dragon tightened his hold on her in response, and she melted in his arms as his nails pressed sharply against her back. After a few moments, he disengaged and stroked her hair.

“Go now,” he said gently.

The sun shaman smiled and nodded, and after kissing her master on the cheek and getting kissed on the lips in return, she made her way to the bathroom to prepare for the day. Once she had closed the door behind her, she activated her telepathic link to Starheart.

 _“You were right,”_ she thought to her spirit as she began her morning routine.

 _“Of course,”_ they returned matter-of-factly, though without judgment. _“Gold-Master has been consulting me.”_

 _“He thinks highly of you,”_ she mused fondly.

 _“So it would seem, although he would not want to admit it. I worried when you first summoned me here, but that worry was needless.”_ Starheart paused, then continued slowly, _“You know, Ella... His high regard for me is a direct consequence of his high regard for you.”_

Ella watched herself blush in the mirror before averting her eyes and smiling.

 _“You are always so good to me, mein Herz,”_ she thought lovingly.

 _“As you are to me, meine liebe Herrin,”_ they replied.

The sun shaman smiled again at the needless honorific as she left the bathroom to dress. She chose one of her usual white blouses and a high-waisted, floor-length flowy black skirt that she couldn’t resist twirling in. She took a moment to look at herself in the mirror, lovingly stroking the golden scale set in her collar as she did so, before leaving the bedroom.

As Ella entered the kitchen, her heart was moved by the unusual sight that met her eyes: instead of reclining at the table as she had expected, Lofwyr was standing at the counter pouring freshly-brewed coffee into her mug. He turned to face her with a smile that was only partially self-satisfied, and she hurried to meet him. Adoration flowing freely, she rested one hand on his chest and caressed his face with her other; he placed his hands on her hips.

“I wanted to redress the uncertainty I caused you yesterday,” he said softly.

Too touched to speak, the sun shaman let her gratitude speak for her and felt her master’s affection in return.

“Thank you,” she whispered at length, still smiling.

The great dragon picked up the mug and handed it to her; after letting the aroma waft over her, she took a careful sip and gave him another adoring smile. Once she had prepared a simple breakfast for herself, they moved to the kitchen table, where he watched her take her meal in loving silence. When finished, she placed her dishes in the sink, then turned to face him with an inquisitive expression. He held out his arm for her to take; she sidled up to him and happily obliged.

Lofwyr led Ella to the relatively small space that served as an indoor garden and sat them down on a decorative bench. Instead of speaking, they simply leaned against each other, gazing down at the circular pool before them. Shimmering glammergolds and delicate Caldwell lilies floated atop the gently undulating water—golden scales for the great dragon, white flowers for the sun shaman. The sight always filled Ella with calm, and their feelings of peace reinforced each other’s until they were floating themselves upon their shared contentment. After a length of time, Lofwyr’s low, melodious voice broke the silence.

“Concerning your... anxiety about the future,” he began slowly, looking at her and waiting for her to meet his gaze before continuing, “There is... magic, for that.”

Ella’s grey-blue eyes widened slightly as she stared into Lofwyr’s yellow-gold ones.

“Magic?” she repeated softly. Her mind quickly cast about for the most relevant kind of magic, and her brow furrowed as she came to only one conclusion. “You don’t mean... blood magic?”

The great dragon’s eyes flashed, but only for a moment.

“Not blood magic,” he said, speaking as though the words left an unpleasant taste in his mouth. He paused and smiled gently before correcting her: “Life magic.”

The sun shaman simply stared at him, not entirely comprehending.

“Magic that uses... life forces? That would be, what, the soul?” she asked.

Lofwyr extracted his arm from Ella’s to hold her hand instead. Despite being somewhat concerned by the intensity of his gaze, she instinctively gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and she felt a pulse of his affection flow through her.

“The medium is still blood,” he said gently, though with careful precision. “However, we dragons do not practice blood magic as you know it—that is, as the younger races do. Life magic is what powers the creation of our drakes, for example. Oaths may also be sealed with blood, although that is not commonly done.” He paused, cupped her face with his free hand, and stared deeply into her eyes. “It is within my capability to extend your lifespan to mine through the use of life magic, mein Schatz, but the process would be irreversible.”

Once again, the sun shaman could only stare at her master as her thoughts and feelings churned helplessly within her. He gently caressed her face, and she felt another comforting pulse of his love.

“How?” she managed to whisper at length. “I...”

Lofwyr trailed his hand down her arm to hold hers in both of his before answering, “As you might have imagined, the central tenet of life magic is self-sacrifice. The ritual will require an offering of my blood as a catalyst.” He paused at the sight of her widened eyes to give her hand a gentle squeeze. “Our souls will be entwined, which will tie your life force to mine. In other words, your life will be sustained by mine. A portion of my soul will reside within you, and a portion of your soul will reside within me. Sealing the pact for eternity will require a smaller amount of your own blood. It is a lot, I know, mein Schatz,” he finished softly.

Lofwyr lifted Ella’s hand and kissed it gently. Once several moments had passed in silence, he continued even more seriously than before, “This is what I offer you. I want you to consider it very carefully. Eternity is an incomprehensibly long time for a young mortal such as yourself. Additionally, while this pact would grant you some measure of protection, there may be unforeseen consequences. I believe it will be safe enough, but it is not without risk.”

The silence that fell was the longest yet. Ella’s thoughts were still racing, and the enormity of the offer made her weak. She leaned against Lofwyr; he cradled her protectively close. She found herself staring at the flowers before her, beautiful and blissfully ignorant of the weight of eternity. Eventually she straightened herself again and looked into his eyes, smiling as she saw the tenderness in his expression. Her heart swelled with love that she felt echo within him, and she finally summoned the strength to ask a question.

“You... you would really be willing to entwine our souls?”

Lofwyr looked slightly taken aback that Ella would ask such a thing. He took her hands in his almost urgently and gave them a gentle squeeze.

“Yes,” he said, a little too forcefully. “I...” his voice trailed, and he shifted one of his hands to her face as his eyes searched hers with a desperate though helpless intensity. Sensing his hesitation, she smiled softly at him and focused her emotions into a comforting love. “Ella, I...” Yellow-gold eyes piercing her grey-blue ones, he tried with limited success to return her smile despite his fervency. He took a deep breath and caressed her face before finishing with quiet passion, “I love you.”

At once, the sun shaman’s heart melted and tears welled in her eyes. She knew that her master loved her, knew even the overwhelming depth of his love, and she felt his love every single day, but he had never before expressed the sentiment in words, and she was moved beyond gratitude.

“Lofwyr,” she whispered, smiling through her tears as she clasped his hands tightly. “I love you, too.”

Simply gazing lovingly at him was not enough, however; she threw her arms around him as best she could and held him close. The warmth of her love radiated from her heart, and she felt his love burn through her in return.

“I want to spend eternity with you,” she said softly as she stroked his hair. “I want that more than anything.”

“You must think,” he cautioned quietly.

Despite his response, he tightened his hold on her. They lost themselves in a tender cycle of love and gratitude as they held each other, ignoring the slight discomfort of the bench in favor of their devotion. When the strength of their emotions had calmed, Ella leaned back and looked lovingly into Lofwyr’s eyes once more.

“Mein Herr,” she said, smiling in adoration. “You are too good to me.”

The great dragon let out a low, soft laugh. He made no immediate response, but rested a hand against her neck and gently stroked her collar’s scale with his thumb. He smiled to himself as he regarded it, then flicked his eyes up to meet hers.

“You are very good to me yourself, mein Schatz,” he countered.

“As is only right,” she said. “You deserve nothing less than the best.”

Lofwyr leaned forward to kiss Ella’s forehead, then returned mentally, _“And neither do you.”_

The sun shaman blushed with self-conscious pleasure and averted her eyes to the lilies and glammergolds, growing together in a delightful interplay of white and gold.

“We will be like the flowers,” she commented softly once she had regained her composure.

She turned back to her master with a shy smile to see him gazing at her fondly, which only made her blush again.

“You trust me to perform magic on your soul,” he remarked, lovingly stroking her hair.

“Of course,” she replied, her expression turning serious. “I trust you with my life.”

“I know,” he said gently. “It is still gratifying to see your actions so readily follow your words.”

Ella smiled graciously, then leaned against Lofwyr. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and they simply sat in silence, appreciating the endless depths of each other’s love.

*

The rest of the day was spent in quiet thought and discussion as Lofwyr and Starheart counseled Ella about the future. It was a lot to take in, and although she knew that nothing could dissuade her from accepting his offer, she also knew that it was wise to give the decision its proper time. She appreciated their patience as they explained the ritual in full detail and answered questions that she hadn’t even realized she had.

Perhaps even more than that, however, she appreciated their comforting support as they kept her company during her times of reflection. They were her favorite people, her favorite parts of her life and her existence that she could not be without. The knowledge of the ritual was both deeply relieving and intensely exhilarating, as she hated the thought of their lives extending indefinitely after hers had been cut short. Additionally, she usually spent time with one or the other of her beloved, so having one on either side of her was not only wonderful, but also felt like some kind of consummation. Smiling at the thought, Ella took Lofwyr’s left hand and Starheart’s right hand in hers and gave them both a gentle squeeze.

“I am prepared for anything,” she said, “if it means that we can walk into the future together.”

“Very well,” Lofwyr replied softly, smiling at her with pride as she turned to face him. “The ritual will take place in one week, provided that you do not change your mind. I shall begin my preparations momentarily.” He paused to give Ella a loving look, eyes glowing softly with appreciation, then stroked the side of her face with his free hand before saying tenderly, “Mein Schatz. I trust you will not mind if I take my leave to tend to something so important?”

“Of course not,” she said gently, returning his loving smile.

After another moment of gazing affectionately at each other, Lofwyr kissed Ella’s forehead, stood, and made his way to his private office. Once he was gone, she turned to Starheart and took their other hand with a gracious smile. Soon she was lost in the mesmerizing, scintillating gold of their eyes and enjoying the ensuing feeling of weightlessness.

“I look forward to our future,” they said, smiling softly.

Ella’s smile widened, but after a moment her brow furrowed slightly. Her spirit noticed and gave her an inquisitive look.

“You really don’t mind,” she began hesitantly. “Without my death, you won’t be freed...”

“Ella,” they said in gentle reprimand. “You know I wouldn’t leave your side even if you freed me. You are so much more than my mistress, as you are fond of reminding me frequently.”

The sun shaman smiled gratefully, relieved.

“I’m so fortunate to have you in my life,” she said. “Both of you. And now I don’t have to worry about leaving you behind.”

Starheart simply rested a hand on the side of her face, then gently pulled her into a hug. They fell to cuddling on the couch, and deeply contented by the strength of their bond and the pleasantness of physical touch, they didn’t leave each other’s embrace for a long time.

*

A week later, in the golden glow of morning, Ella was adorning herself in her ritual attire while Starheart kept her company. Her thoughts were with Lofwyr, who was already waiting at the ritual space to clear his mind and center himself. Her nerves were all a-flutter with excitement, and she found herself staring pensively at her reflection as she held her sheer white and gold cape a little too tightly. She met Starheart’s eyes in the mirror; they smiled gently at her, and she relaxed slightly and smiled back.

 _“You can do this, mein Liebling,”_ they thought to her tenderly.

Ella simply nodded. Starheart held her hair out of the way as she slipped the cape across her shoulders, then set it down and lovingly ran their fingers through it.

“Your life is about to change in a way most can only dream about,” they said softly aloud, resting their hands on her shoulders.

The sun shaman slowly turned around and took her spirit’s face in her hands.

“It was beyond even my dreams,” she said in reply. “Oh, Starheart, I...” She paused for a moment as her emotions got the better of her, then continued, “I love you so much.”

Starheart wrapped their arms around Ella in an embrace that she returned warmly.

 _“I love you, too,”_ they replied mentally, gently stroking her back. A few moments passed in silence before they added aloud, “Shall I take you to him?”

Ella leaned back slightly, smiled, and kissed Starheart’s cheek.

“Yes,” she said softly. “Let’s go.”

She extracted herself from her spirit and gladly took their arm when it was offered. Together the pair made their way to the corner of the quarters generally reserved for use by Lofwyr in his true form. Once they reached the sculpted concrete floor, Starheart let go of Ella, and after a last encouraging look, they left the physical plane.

 _“I’ll stay close at hand,”_ she heard in her mind as their material form dissipated.

The sun shaman smiled to herself as her eyes met her master’s. Lofwyr was still in his human form, and he returned her smile with loving benevolence as she approached him. Slowly and almost reverently, she started walking toward the center of the space, eyes fixed on the great dragon’s. Her breathing slowed as she passed through the edge of the large ritual circle; it was composed of bundles of various herbs and unlit candles that gleamed deep red and gold. The sheer size of it filled her with awe. Being in the interior of the circle felt somehow different, though she couldn’t have pinpointed why, and the thought left her mind as she reached her master.

“Mein Schatz,” he whispered once she stood before him. He gently trailed the tips of his pointed nails along her cheek, then said, “Soon our souls will be joined.” He paused again as a thoughtful expression passed over his harsh but handsome features, then continued in low, melodious tones, “Thousands of years, and I have never before felt compelled to offer to anyone what I am about to give to you.”

Ella simply looked at Lofwyr with loving adoration for a few moments. Too moved to speak, she took his hands in hers and let her gratitude speak for her.

“A spiritual marriage,” she said softly with a gentle smile.

The great dragon’s eyes glowed in appreciation, and he gave her a small smile in return.

 _“This is deeper than marriage,”_ he corrected mentally, his thought-voice gentle but not lacking in gravity.

Ella felt the depth of Lofwyr’s devotion as he spoke, and her heart was moved again. Yellow-gold and grey-blue eyes locked onto each other, transfixed, and sun shaman and great dragon slowly moved in for a kiss. Soft and slow, it was nevertheless filled with quiet passion, and the ritual was momentarily forgotten as they lost themselves in tasting each other. Once they had had their fill, they leaned back to look at each other; Lofwyr’s eyes were still glowing, and Ella smiled a little breathlessly.

“Shall we begin?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” she breathed, her smile widening.

“Good,” he said. He stroked her hair, then motioned to a chair that had been moved just inside the circle. “Please, have a seat.”

Ella carefully walked over to the chair and sat down, facing the center of the circle where Lofwyr remained standing. Once she was situated, he gave her a small nod; she returned a smaller nod to signal her readiness and felt nervous excitement well in her chest again. This was followed by a pulse of affection from her master, and she watched lovingly as he closed his eyes and assumed his true form.

Ella’s breath caught as it always did at the sight great dragon’s dazzling majesty, and she couldn’t help but feel completely at ease in his presence. Lofwyr’s scales gleamed in a lush array of gold, copper, brass, and bronze; his wings were tucked to his sides, his spiked tail neatly wrapped around him. He looked as regal as ever with his perfect posture, and as she looked up at him, she was overwhelmed with love for the beautiful dragon that had allowed her to so deeply share in his life. 

A few moments passed in silence as their hearts blazed with love. When at last he opened his brightly burning gold eyes, every candle in the circle flickered alight, and wisps of smoke began rising from the herb bundles. The sun shaman inhaled softly despite herself; her master’s magic always impressed her.

Since her active participation would not be required until hours later, Ella settled back into her chair, though she kept her rapt attention fixed on Lofwyr. The great dragon gave her a slight nod, then raised his forepaws. Slowly and deliberately, he moved his paws together so that the talon of the first digit of his right paw hovered over his left palm. The sun shaman leaned forward without realizing it, her heart beating faster as she stared at his paws. With a swift, deft motion, he brought his talon down and pierced his palm; she gasped again as she felt an echo of his pain, and her eyes widened at the sight of the deep red blood that pooled in his palm, spilled from his paw, and dripped onto the ground. She knew that her master had to bleed, but seeing her beloved’s blood hurt her heart. He spared a pulse of comforting affection for her; grateful, she leaned back once more, breathing deeply of the scent of herbs.

After several more moments, the blood began to shimmer, then to glow an unsettling shade of red. Mesmerized, Ella watched as it slowly coalesced into a sphere and hovered in the air before Lofwyr, where it became infused with golden light. Almost imperceptibly, a strange warmth appeared in her chest. It was simultaneously comforting and unnerving, less like one of hers or Lofwyr’s emotions and more like an entity of its own. It very slowly spread throughout her body until she felt consumed by it, and with complete trust in Lofwyr, she surrendered herself to the ritual.

The strange pleasantness persisted, and after an unidentifiable length of time, Ella found herself in a mind-numbing haze. Just as she was considering letting herself fall asleep, she felt a sharp, sudden, and almost painful sensation, as if a vital part of her had been torn out without warning. Slightly weakened, she instinctively wrested her mind back to attention. The discomfort had dissipated, but a faint tugging sensation remained. She took a deep breath, braced herself, and opened her third eye to take a look.

Once her vision had recovered from the blinding brightness of Lofwyr’s radiant aura, Ella saw what she had expected to see: a luminous white thread, scintillating and gossamer thin, connecting her to the sphere of blood. It felt surreal, watching part of her soul leaving her body, never to return... In awe and enchantment, she smiled to herself, even as she knew she was slowly continuing to weaken. She could feel her magical potential diminishing ever so slightly with the slow loss of her soul; if the ritual were to be disrupted, she would lose part of herself forever, but she trusted her master implicitly and was unafraid.

Looking further with her astral sight, the sun shaman saw a similar thread emanating from the great dragon, a gold one that was many times brighter than her own. She once again felt extremely small next to him, and as she thought about what he was doing for her, her heart threatened to burst with love. Content and sustained by the strange stabilizing warmth, she watched the intricate magic unfolding before her. The sphere of blood became increasingly energized, glowing and pulsating more rapidly as more and more of their souls flowed into it. Curiously, it was also becoming increasingly more gold than red, as if the blood was merely a vessel to hold their souls while her master performed his magic.

Ella kept watching for as long as she could, but despite the fortitude that her proficiency with magic had granted her, eventually she was so weakened that her third eye slowly slid shut, and her physical eyes followed not long after. She felt so comfortably warm, numb, and tired, that she thought she just might sleep forever. That wouldn’t be so bad, would it...

When she blinked awake some time later, it took her a few moments to realize it was because the tugging had stopped. She looked up at Lofwyr and the pulsing golden magic before him and couldn’t help but smile tiredly in admiration: the light from the magic illuminated his already-shimmering scales with beautiful, ephemeral patterns. She opened her third eye to see more clearly and gasped softly at the sight—within the bright sphere of mana, the white thread of her soul and the gold thread of Lofwyr’s were winding around each other, ever so slowly, but tightly, inextricably, and beautifully... Her breathing slowed further as she watched the process, enchanted by the display of her master’s skill and once again in awe of the depth of his love.

In her weakened state, even this spectacle couldn’t keep her awake without respite, and she found herself slipping in and out of consciousness. To her relief, she was able to see the last of the twining; she smiled softly to herself when it was finished and waited curiously for the next step. She didn’t have to wait long: soon the twined thread broke in half and the halves began to leave the mana sphere, moving as slowly as everything else had done, one toward the great dragon and one toward herself.

Ella watched, hardly breathing, as the thread of soul came ever closer to her. She still felt so warm and comfortable, and so tired, that she couldn’t possibly be afraid of what might happen when it reached her. In fact, the scintillating gold and white thread looked positively inviting; she opened her heart, lowered what little remained of her natural guard, and placed her arms on the chair’s armrests for support. When the thread was almost to her chest, she held her breath in anticipation, and when it came in contact with her, she gasped and gripped the chair tightly.

It didn’t hurt, not exactly, but it was a very strong sensation, as if an unknown power were penetrating her innermost being. Lofwyr had warned her that her soul might be resistant to accepting his at first, and it felt as though he had been correct. However, as more of their twined souls entered her, the churning within lessened, and she felt more at peace. She could sense her strength and magical capabilities slowly returning, though fatigue remained in place of weakness. It was difficult to tell given her state of weakened exhaustion, but she thought that she might, perhaps, have even more magical potential than she had before. She would have to test that theory once she recovered...

After what felt like a very long time, the soul threads had been fully reintegrated, but the sphere of magic continued to glow brightly. Ella gazed up at it, then further up at Lofwyr’s face, knowing that it was her time to contribute, but feeling too drained to move. The great dragon must have sensed this, for he slowly moved closer to her and extended one of his forepaws to her, palm-up so that the tip of one of his talons was within reach.

Ella’s breath caught as she looked upon it, magically enhanced to be razor-sharp. Her left hand trembled slightly as she reached out towards it, but instead of touching it, she stopped when her index finger hovered over the point and took a steadying breath. Lofwyr sent a pulse of reassuring affection through her, then deftly pricked her finger with his talon.

The sun shaman gasped at the pain despite herself. She watched with wide eyes as a small stream of blood trickled from her finger, glistening red against burnished gold as it dripped onto her master’s talon. After a few moments, her blood began to glow as his had done, and it began to slowly make its way to the mana sphere, which was still entirely gold. She knew she was free to heal herself, and after she gathered her strength—a bigger feat than she had anticipated—she cast a simple healing spell to close her small wound.

Ella turned her attention back to the floating, glowing blood, marveling again at how surreal the experience was. Her wonder was cut short, however, when the blood entered the sphere of magic. Instantly, the gold turned a dramatic shade of red, and she cried out as a searing heat coursed through her body. It only lasted a moment, but coming after everything else, it rendered her barely conscious all the same. In a flash, the light of the magic became an immensely bright gold before dissipating and fading away, taking the flames of the low-burning candles with it. Unable to stay awake any longer, the sun shaman’s eyes slid closed, and she collapsed further into her chair.

Lofwyr returned to his human form and quickly closed the distance between them. When he reached her chair, he knelt and gazed at her carefully. Starheart materialized behind him, also looking closely at their mistress. Together they watched the brilliantly bright flashes of Lofwyr’s aura that now swirled within her own, both of them relieved, grateful, and full of love.

“Mein Schatz,” Lofwyr said softly, reaching out a hand and gently stroking Ella’s face.

The sun shaman smiled at the touch, though her eyes remained closed. Lofwyr and Starheart exchanged their own smiles; the spirit gave him a respectful bow, then returned to the astral plane. Turning back to Ella, Lofwyr smiled again, more lovingly this time, and carefully scooped her up into his arms. She nestled against him as he stood, and he held her a little tighter.

 _“You are truly mine now,”_ he thought to her tenderly as he carried her to the bedroom, _“now that I keep part of your soul and you carry part of mine. Mine, for all eternity—until the end of time, and beyond.”_

Even though she was far from awake, Ella smiled to herself. Lofwyr gently laid her down when he reached the bed, taking a moment to admire her and kiss her forehead before joining her. Before long, they were comfortably twined, the sun shaman deep asleep and the great dragon in a restful trance, pleasantly hyperaware of every movement of the one whose soul he now shared.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:
> 
> ich liebe dich: I love you  
> mein Herr: my lord/master  
> mein [kleiner] Schatz: my [little] treasure  
> meine liebe Herrin: my dear mistress  
> mein Liebling: my darling
> 
> I draw Lofwyr over at my dA: [[link]](https://www.deviantart.com/elavoria/gallery/70998969/shadowrun)


End file.
